HAZLETON — After its offense was completely stymied a week ago in a loss to Crestwood, it looked like a similar night was unfolding for Hazleton Area on Friday. The Cougars scored on their first drive, and then went cold for over two quarters.

Ashton Karlick wasn’t having it.

The junior running back created the latest heartbreak for Pittston Area, capping his 145-yard night with two scores in the final 3:43 to beat the Patriots 20-14 in a Wyoming Valley Conference Division 1 game.

It was the second straight week in which a second-half lead got away from the Patriots, who have also lost two games in which they were tied in the second half.

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The two defenses controlled the middle of the game. The score stood at 14-6 in Pittston Area’s favor from 1:43 remaining in the first quarter until Karlick scored the last 14 points.

Karlick, after spending much of the night making his own room to run, got a big boost from his offensive line and led the Cougars to the comeback victory.

“How about the job running by Ashton Karlick, and by those guys up front,” Hazleton Area coach Dennis Buchman said. “We battled. We battled against a lot of things and overcame some adversity.”

After several missed opportunities, including a 93-yard drive to end the first half cut short by a Gerry Groom interception on the goal line, the Cougars finally took advantage of some of the gifts the Patriots gave them.

Chief among those gifts: great field position. On the drive to tie the game, a nine-yard punt allowed the Cougars to get started right around midfield.

Karlick took a handoff, stretched his run out to the sideline and did a good job walking the tightrope down the line to reach the end zone on a 34-yard touchdown run. He caught the two-point conversion pass from Freddy Corrado to tie the game with 3:43 to play.

Pittston Area started the ensuing drive in good shape, but a costly personal foul and another shanked punt gave the Cougars another short field with which to work.

Corrado, starting in place of injured senior signal-caller Austin Wilson, worked the clock and worked his guys down to the red zone. Karlick, going left this time, shook off a couple would-be tacklers and rumbled across the goal line for the game-winning touchdown with just 21.1 seconds to play.

Pittston Area’s C.J. Pietrzak had 97 yards on the ground and scored the first Patriots touchdown. Sophomore Paulie Ferentino, making his first start at quarterback in place of injured Matt Walter, ran for the two-pointer and 8-6 lead.

The Patriots added to that lead at the end of the quarter, with a perfect throw from quarterback Paulie Ferentino to Lucas Lopresto on a fade pattern to the left corner for a 26-yard score.

Ferentino threw for 109 yards and a score.

The Patriots picked off two passes, and recovered a fumble on a muffed punt deep in Hazleton Area in the third quarter, but were unable to capitalize on some of these opportunities.

“We have to finish drives, finish games … that’s the name of the game,” Pittston Area coach Joe DeLucca said. “Paulie had a hell of a game, he made some big-time throws.”

BY THE NUMBERS

Hazleton Area had small statistical advantages across the board – 13-10 in first downs, 144-87 in rushing yards, 141-128 in passing yards and 285-215 in total offense. … Lucas Lopresto caught five passes for 108 yards for the Patriots. … Pittston Area became the first Wyoming Valley Conference team to finish its division schedule. The Patriots finished 1-4 in Division 1 despite outscoring opponents 107-99. The four losses were by 11 points or less.

UP NEXT

Pittston Area (2-6) hosts Wallenpaupack (3-5) Friday night. The Buckhorns reached 3-1 when they beat a North Pocono team that has a victory over Pittston Area. Since, however, Wallenpaupack has lost four straight by a total of 145-34. Wallenpaupack was outgained 418-143 in Thursday’s 41-0 loss at Abington Heights. Xaiden Schock gives the Buckhorns one of District 2’s top linebackers.